The fifth-preference employment-based green card, also known as the “Investor” green card, is available to individuals willing to make a substantial investment into a US-based company or business entity.  The minimum investment required is one million dollars ($1,000,000), or five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) if the investment is made into certain specified troubled business areas.  The investment must create at least ten jobs for US workers, and the investor must manage the enterprise on a day-to-day basis.

The EB-5 green card is a convenient option for parties planning to start a business in the United States in any case – it can work almost as an “add-on” to an existing business plan, providing permanent residency to the investor and his or her family at a comparatively reasonable cost.